Tuesday, May 29, 2007

WSOP Time

It's been a fun run in the BBT but I think at most I'll only be playing a couple more events so hopefully you can cancel any wagers you made on me with Blinders and you have still have time to load up on some of the other competitors on the leaderboard. Here's the deal, the WSOP starts on Friday and for the next two months I will be playing live poker almost every single day.

This is the two months that besides all the big-time pros the rooms are filled with donkeys from all over the planet, taking their shots at tournaments and testing their meddle at the cash games. Give me a Euro calling station or an internet hotshot with their hats, sunglasses, and ill-timed check raises and I hope to have a couple bricks of $100s when its all said and done. It's time to get my lazy fat ass from the convenience of my comfy office chair and into the poker rooms of Vegas.

I plan on playing mostly cash games but I'll also be taking some shots at single table SnGs, which if successful I plan on both trading the lammers for cash and for a couple WSOP events. I'm going to try to play at least two $1500-$2000 events and I'll also take a couple shots at the Mega satellites in the hopes of winning a Main Event Seat for cheap. Here is a list of daily SnGs as well as the Mega-Satellites to be played at the Rio and if you were here last year you'll probably notice the addition of two and three tables events. Since there is no third-party registration this year, the organizer have given the players many more options at qualifying for the WSOP events.

Last year you could trade any lammers won in single table SnGs, except for the $1060s, and get 100% cash value back from most anyone planning on buying in for cash. It's kind of a courtesy for those not wanting to play in the WSOP but wanting the cash instead and there is a good number of players who only play satellites just for cash. One of the dealers I know from MGM takes a six weeks leave of absence and plays in nothing but single table SnGs and he did extremely well last year profiting some $30K in those six weeks.

Now the Mega-satellites are for Main Event seats only and those lammers are non-transferable so if you are going to play in any of those make sure you know that you can only win a seat to the Main Event and that you can't sell those. I'm assuming that also like last year, any SnG that pays a $10K prize is also non-transferable. So plan you're SnGs accordingly.

Also if you are in town, and I know a lot of you bloggers are planning to attend the Summer Classic, Venetian, Caesars, and Binions all have daily deep stack tournaments lined up to catch a lot of the overflow of tournament donks. I've been talking to the King of the Donks and throughout the month we will be hitting up some of those non-WSOP tournaments in the hopes of catching a decent score.

I did have a decent run in the $400K on Sunday finishing 215th for a $415 cash. What's nice is that I won a token playing a Tier I SnG for $8.70 then used that token to play a $26 satellite where I qualified for a seat. That made the $400 slightly better although it took three hours to win the seat and four hours before I was eliminated so it was a long boring day of folding cards basically.

The June Big Game will be played on Sunday July 1st and it will be the last scheduled tournament, the Grand Finale if you will, before the to be determined freeroll concludes things. Hopefully we can get 58 players and break the $4000 mark for the highest blogger event on record.

That's it from here. I'll keep you updated with the goings on in Vegas for the next two months and with my results and also some interesting hands I see at the live tables. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend and good luck to those fighting it out at the top of the BBT.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Friday Complaints

I'm back in Vegas but the work continues. I'm still wrapping up some Florida issues from here and hopefully I can enjoy a weekend of sports and poker without having to deal with any fires. There is a big transition going on there and I hope to everything accomplished by June 1, in time for the WSOP.

I was able to play the Mookie on Wednesday but thats been it as far as poker since I've been back. Shit, last night I fell asleep at 9pm so I guess I'm somewhat drained from working and a nasty sinus headache I've had for the past four days.

I've decided to make some new notes for the Blogger events. They will be very simple A and B type notes. A. takes these events seriously and is really trying to win or B. Complete donkey who is here for the social aspect or to bust someone playing shitty cards in hopes of a rant from Hoy, Waffles or myself. Most so far fall into the B category.

For instance, the hammer is, what I like to say so 2004. It's outdated, its a bad joke, and it's just not funny anymore. Do those of you who play it still get a kick out of turning over the hammer and showing everyone how smooth you are? Are those of you at the table impressed by someone else doing it, thinking wow he or she is smooth for playing the worst possible starting hand. I think what a jackass, I can't wait until all those chips get spewed across the table and I sure hope I get my share.

Also for those of you who don't know, KJ is a shitty chip eating hand. If you want to keep open raising that from early position or calling huge reraises with it, stop wondering why you never win anything, because that is a huge leak. Yes sometimes you get lucky but more often that not misplaying that crap hand results in either being crippled or eliminated.

I understand that playing poker for most is a hobby, that it's merely a few entertainment dollars and a chance to socialize with our invisible internet friends. Yes I get pissed when I go deep and get sucked out on or lose to a horrible play, and usually its nothing personal, mostly I have trouble understanding the different levels of competitiveness. But hey, I have the abilitly to learn, so who knows maybe I'll get better at understanding just as some of you might get better at poker.

That's it for my rant. Sorry it's not to the standards of my above mentioned super-rantors but it's all I have.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Homeward Bound

8:37 pm I'm scheduled for a flight back to Vegas. I will be on that plane. I need to get back home, to Vegas, where the sun shines all day and the lights shine all night, and I can get whatever I want 24/7.

Working, even though for probably 14 hours a day for a week straight, on a consulting basis, is...not what I'm used to. Yes it got the blood pumping for a minute of two, but when I have to come to town, evaluate all the books, suggest major cuts, to both properties and staff, well I enjoy that. Working 8am to 9pm is a different story.

On the poker front, the Big Game I got all my chips in early and lost as a 75% favorite, the MATH I final tabled and monied in 5th place. The final two tables at the MATH was hard work. No flukes made it that far and the game was very tough.

BTW, east coast time sucks. I feel like I'm waiting for everything. Starting a tournament at 10pm? Baseball games starting a 7pm? Enough.

I'll have more time to get in particulars when I get back to Vegas, but for now, it seemed like forever but it also flew by. Looking forward to seeing some of you donks in Vegas in a couple weeks.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Flushed

Alright let's see. Monday it was AA vs QQ all-in preflop and last night well, you decide. I think I played this hand to perfection considering my opponent I just got unlucky.

Blinds are 30/60 and I raise in MP position to 180 with Ad Ks. BB is the only caller. Flop comes Kc 9d 3d. He checks, I bet $325 he thinks then calls. Turn is a 7c. Pot is now $1040 and I have $50 more than said donkey so I jam all-in for $1600. Yes I pushed TPTK because my read had him drawing and sure enough he turns over the mighty Kd 2d. I get flushed on the river and instead of having $4K in chips at this early stage I'm done.

Just shows how timing can play a huge roll in MTTs. In both events I should have had big chip stacks compared to the table and I definitely start the bullying phase immediately but instead I go home early with no money and no points. Oh well, it's why 90% of full-time MTT players are not profitable.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Working Stiff

I made the drive yesterday morning across Allligator Alley and again it was beautiful. It was mostly dark and cloudy and you could see huge rainbursts off in the distant, definitely a landscape I'm no longer familiar with living in Vegas. The solitude and sceneray was certainly worthwhile.

Put in a long day "consulting" yesterday and man, I hope I never have to work full-time every again. I was busy, time flew by, barely stopped for a meal, zero poker, limited girly chat, but in certain senses it was stimulating. There are many problems and issues to be dealt with getting this company back on its feet, but I pride myself as a problem solver, as I constantly live life in the solution, so I look forward to the challange. I also look forward to getting back to Vegas and long hours in either the sports book or poker table.

I'm not going to get into detail here today although I will attack the subject in some later posts but I'm really amazed lately by so many posts and comments on those posts about select hands and they way they are played from both perpectives. What I mean is I'm surprised at so much shallow thinking and IMO how players don't see the depth of poker and really how wrong their thinking can be at times. The goal is to win the most chips possible, whether it be tournament or a cash game, and there are certain means to do this. I would recommend that many players dust off the textbooks and learn how better play scary board, learn how to trap, and when the time is right learn how to slow-play.

Other than nuts vs second nuts, these are the best situations to win the most chips. My goal as a player is to get all my chips committed as a 70%+ favorite. My goal is not to win a quarter of my opponents chips by betting them off hands too early instead of letting them try to catch up a little so I can get all their chips. Slow-play folks, put it in your playbook and use it to your advantage along with trapping over aggressive players.

I've saved so much money because players get in such a hurry to play their great hands that they push me off on the flop instead of getting tricky and trapping my ass. It's one of my favorite things, I have AK and raise preflop and get called by say one of the blinds with 44. Flop comes A94 but two suited, they check their set, I C-bet, and they overbet check raise me and I fold. I usually thank them for saving me money and I like asking why they bet me off the hand and the answer is most always, "well there was a flush draw out there." Whatever, we're HU, slow play and get all my chips.

Sunday should be a big poker day for all of us MTT donks. The Full Tilt FTOPS Main Event starts at 18:00 and that will be paired with every bloggers favorite tournament; The Big Game at 21:30. Last month's prize pool may have been an all-time blogger record as 53 players donked it out for a $3657 prize pool, and a whopping $1389.66 first place. Hopefully everyone either has their tokens or are working dilligently towards getting them as this event is just too juicy to pass up. Hell buy-in straight if need be but make it out for the toughest monthly event in blogger land.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The Seven Deadly's

Ever have one of those days where you just think how awesome life is? I had one today.

I drove from Delray Beach to Naples to see my parents, brother, sister-in-law and niece. I love driving across Alligator Alley on I-75 as I think the vast nothingness is beautiful. 90 miles an hour, through a couple fires, with almost nothing on my mind except totally enjoying the moment.

After I got to my parents house I saw some real rain for the first time in 14 months. One of those beautiful Florida thunderstorms with maybe 4 inches of rain in 2 hours, great lightning strikes, the works. We followed that up with some cocktails, a home cooked lobster dinner, and some great conversation. What a fabulous day. Tomorrow back to Delray and time to get to work.

I'm late to the party and I see I was tagged from one of my favorites Change 100 and also surprisingly I thought from last years Summer Classic winner F Train.

Do you donkeys really want to hear this. I think I'm a good story teller in person but I hope I'm not too long winded doing this. Oh well here goes. Perhaps someday I'll expand all seven.

1. My first car was a 1976 Datsun B210. Don't laugh and you youngsters yes it was actually a car. I got it before I went to college and man I think the doors and body were made with tin. It's lucky I saved crashing cars until later in life when I actually had some decent medal surrounding me. Anyway what was awesome about this car is the drivers floor board was rusted out so there was a big hole under the carpet which came in handy on more than a few occasions. I can think of three times I got pulled over and each time I was able to slip, either a beer, a bag of weed, or a pipe, through the hole without the dumb ass cop finding it. I'd wait til the walked back to there car and I'd retreive the goods and me and whichever passenger had a good laugh. Fuck I wish they had camera phones back in the day, I might be famous now. I also once locked my keys in the car and was able to get those bad boys out after a few hours of fishing there the hole. I think I still have a scare and its proof that we don't need tetanus shots anymore.

2. I was a very good basketball player in high school, so good in fact I got a scholarship to college. Problem was I peaked as a sophomore when I averaged 17 points a game and instead of playing 8 hours a day which I did up until then I found I liked beer and weed better. So I went from receiving letters from Divison I schools to getting a ride to Westiminster College in Fulton, MO. an NAIA school then.

3. As some of you know I'm a bad loser. I'm highy competitive and I hate losing but thats not really number three. Number three is I was thrown out of both my last high school and college games. In High School we had this shitty crooked ref who did way too many of our games and in the district play-offs we were losing to some stacked city high school team and we were getting killed. With about 1 minute left that shitty ref called a foul on me when we were down by 25 and I called him a douche bag. Amazingly that didn't do the trick so when the guy made the first free throw I got the ball and acted like I was going to hand it back to the ref but itstead I punted the ball right past his head and deep into the stands. As you can guess that got the ejection.

In college it gets even better. I only stayed eligible for a semester but I was somewhat of a cult hero for my long hair, my partying ways, and my wild attitude at what was a very uppidity college. So I knew I wasn't going to make grades and my coach knew I wasn't going to make grades so as the semester got near and end my playing time was almost non-existent, even though I probably should have started. So if we were playing at home and doing the well, the crowd, which was always full, would chant Don-nie, Don-nie, Don-nie, in hopes I'd get in the game and something unpredictible might happen. Well I didn't disappoint.

In our last game before break, a Saturday after Finals Week the gym was packed and there was one last big campus party left before everyone headed home for Christmas Break. We blew out our opponents and with about 10 minutes left and us up by 30 the coach emptied the bench including me. Well five straight times down the court I got the ball and scored. On the fifth time I got fouled and I put on a real showboat manuver, standing over an oppsosing player and flexing. One of his teammates wasn't too happy with my antics and he threw the ball at me from about 5 feet away nailing me square in the back. I turned around walked up to him real calm and punching him right in the head dropping him to the floor out cold. A small melee insued and the other coach and my coach almost got into a fist fight, it was a real beauty. So I got kicked out of the game but for some reason all I had to do was sit on the bench, I didn't get ejected. The crowd was in full party mode and that send them over the edge. I got a standing ovation and the crowd was back to Don-nie, Don-nie, Don-nie, it was unreal. It got so crazy in fact that the coach finally sent me to the locker room in hopes the place would calm down, which it never did. I still get shivers down my spine just thinking about it and I would guess there are ex-classmates who still tell the story.

4. The same night of my ejection I banged three different girls, in three different beds and none of the three was my girlfriend at the time. This wasn't some wild foursome either; three different girls, three different beds, one night. Too bad it wasn't a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead, but it was a flat chested chick, a medium chested chick, and a big breasted chick. Man talk about a day and night to remember. I did go back for my second semester but that was it, I lost my ride and moved on to another college.

5. The most days in a row I shot heroin was 187. As most of you know I had some drug addictions in the early 90s and during one stretch I made it 187 days without missing. Try keeping up with what became a $200 a day habit, with no job and no place to live. Thankfully I was smart enough to keep a car and I rode around stealing and fencing the goods to support my habit. The fun ended when I got pulled over and picked up on a warrant and I visited four jail in four days before I was sent to treatment in Minnesota. Talk about miserable, kicking and violently sick puking and shiting all over myself and everyone in my path. Needless to say nobody tried to take my sneakers or my meals. What started out as some romantic and freeing adventure become such a fucking grind trying to get my dope every day. I can still remember the pain of kicking to this day. Oh well. Today I'm heroin free although a nice opiate pharmacudical every now and again is still one of lifes pleasures.

6. I only have one nut and its my left one. Thats right (pun intented) boys and girls, one nut. One my 34th birthday I was diagnosed with testicular cancer after I went to the Urologist complaining because my right nut had become the size of an avocado. He immediately send me to the Chief of Urology at University of Miami who did the operation personally. From diagnosis to nut removal was 10 days. Its probably why the cancer never spread which this particular nasty strand had a history of doing. Coming up on eight years of cancer free and I'm considered in total remission and out of the danger zone. You'd never know by looking but if any ladies out there are into sacs, let me know and you can certainly check it out.

7. I live in Las Vegas and I hope to make it as a professional poker player and sports bettor. I've never been happier in my life. Its our experiences that make us what we are and although I've had some tough moments, I'm glad I've experienced them and I like who I've become today. I've also made some fantastic friendships along with a few hater in my 14 months in Vegas and as a blogger and I look forward to seeing all you donkeys this summer.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Florida Bound

I'm off to Florida tonight on the Red Eye. I took a consulting job so I'll be there for 10 days. It should be interesting to do non poker or sports betting work so I'll let you know how it goes when I'm done. There is also a start-up company down there that I'm going to pitch to see if they may be interested in my services. Again we'll see how it goes. 10 days a month in Florida working and 20 days a month in Vegas playing poker and betting sports might be a good mix.

Don't forget the Big Game next Sunday night. Start getting those tokens so we can have another monster prize pool. Also satellite into any FTOPS event you can the fields are horrible.

I'll keep you guys up-to-date on the goings in Florida and will probably see you either at FTOPS #3 tomorrow night or at the Mookie on Wednesday.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Was the Fix In?

Maybe someday I'll get published in there if I wasn't so fucking lazy. Go read it.

Does anybody think the fix was in on Saturday's fight? I gave you my inside info on Friday and while the line didn't drop as anticipated was there a reason?

Now I've blogged before on strange unexplainable situations in the NFL, basketball, and online poker and again I'm not a conspiracy theorist but sometimes its very simple; the fix is in.

I've also blogged before about how sometimes the casinos will fade a certain side, in essence gambling that the public will put money on one side and lose, giving the casino much bigger profits. Most squares will still argue that casinos want the action 50/50 so they win the juice but I've been over that before too so I'm going forward assuming you agree that, at times, a casino will gamble.

My information was that all the late money will come in on De La Hoya and the line of the fight will drop to Mayeather -150 at which point jump on Mayweather and get some decent value on what would be a sure thing. Well something happened that I find fishy. The line never went below -170 despite this article from Friday and this article from Saturday.

How do we explain so much more money pouring in on the underdog yet the casinos didn't lower the line? Now I'm not saying the fix was in neccessarily but the casinos defintiely kept up a number that encouraged more money being bet on the underdog and they definitely had more money on one fighter than they did the other. So perhaps they just gambled that Mayweather would win and that their profits would soar because of it? Just something for everyone to think about.

Of course, one of the judges must have watched a different fight as it seems he was the only person on the planet who though De La Hoya won the fight. Anyway when it was all said and done if you took my inside info you made a nice sum of money. Hope it worked out well for those who did bet.

I've been asked about my baseball picks and I think I'll post about my system tomorrow. I'm always hesitant to post picks because if I happen to go on a bad run or I miss a day here or there when I actually had winners I look like more of an assclown than usual. I will give you the teaser and tell you the most I'll lay in baseball is -120 and probably 95% of my bets are taking the run line, trading the run and a half for odds.

If enough of you are interested maybe what I can do is have you send me an email with your email address and I can do a daily email of the picks I am playing. This way I can make things a little more private and I don't turn into a tout service....yet.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Fight Weekend

I don't think I got above the starting chips in any of the three blogger donkaments this week. Tough to play with no cards and a table full of calling stations. I'm not happy that I fell to 2nd place but oh well I've played four less tournaments and there is still lots of time left.

Speaking of bloggers, why do some of you use dark backrounds with white fonts? It's unnatural and do you realize how hard it is to read that shit? Just a suggestion, you might want to look into other more reader friendly options.

I'm killing it betting baseball. If I can continue to have the successes I've had so far poker will become a hobby. I've said it numerous times before but I'd rather be a professional sports player than a professional poker player. It's going to be interesting to see how things turn out.

I got a tip on the Mayweather-Delahoya fight from a very reliable source. The brother of the Director of one of the Sports Books who has given 100% perfect boxing tips, including two +250 underdogs said, "The minute Mayweather goes under -150 bet it. Right now its about -180 but when all of the gangbangers from LA get here and start betting on their boy Delahoya the number should fall. It started at about -225 and so far the tip has been accurate as to how the line has fallen. Just something to keep an eye on.

I'll be back at the MGM trying to catch donkey dollars since it is fight weekend. I rarely play there anymore as its mostly a $1/2 house and most of my poker playing is at Bellagio or Venetian but I'll be logging long hours there all weekend. Avoid the mine fields, peddle some nuts and hope to have a hugely successful weekend.

What's up with this kid Waffles and his buddy Jeci? Would you two donkeys play each other already. I'll promote the fucking thing. Since the argument is about NL it only makes sense to play NL and not every other game.

Here's the deal if you both agree. (if you don't agree you're both pussies and you'll never live this down) $100 Head ups No Limit at the cash table. You both buy-in for the max $100. You play until one person has all the money or a two hour time limit whichever comes first. You do this five times. We'll keep score by money won. I'm sure we can get about 50 deep on the rail so get your nutsacks ready and step up or forever hold your head in shame. Are you in boys?

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

It's Tuesday

I'm not a good loser at Blogger Events. I rarely ever tilt live but nothing chaps my ass than losing a $11 or $26 online event. Sometimes I'm too competitive for my own good. Oh well its always good to have something to work on.

Miami is getting dogged for their draft. We'll see. Um there is a reason Brady Quinn fell to the 23rd pick other than him being ghey. John Beck = Drew Brees.

Don't forget about the U. Three first round picks continuing the record of 13 straight seasons with a first round pick!

Thankfully NFL Network now has great draft coverage. ESPN blows. Mel Kiper is the one of the biggest douchbags alive and I'll bet anyone anything that once his contract expires he's replaced by Todd McShay from Scouts Inc. Just like asswhipe Joe Thiessman is gone so too will Kiper. Hey Chris Berman, your schtick was funny 25 years ago now its just plain tiresome. You're like the 40 year old guy at the club with 10 year out of style clothes who thinks he can still bang 22 year olds. Let me tell you something, they're really laughing at you. Oh well another 25 years and you might retire.

I had my best month ever playing live. It's amazing what can happen when your hands hold up at a regular percentage. It's nice to get my money in as a 75% favorite and me winning 75% of those hands. My game though is really evolving. My reads have been getting much better and I'm using a tight image to win big pots with the goods and also win important pots with well timed plays. I'm hoping for a very good May so I can play $5/10 during the WSOP when the rio will chalk full of the worlds biggest donkeys. Mmmm juicy.

I've finally decided to just multi-table cash games online for sheer profit. Play the nut peddle style, lower variance, and hope to make money. I'll save my skills for live play. I'm stubborn and sometimes a slow learner but there is nothing to be gained trying to be a ballah online when I live in Vegas. So nut peddling it is. How fucking boring but oh well, it's all about the money baby.